Men arrested over 'Babes in the Wood' murder will face no further action

No action will be taken against two men arrested on suspicion of carrying out sexual offences against one of the 'Babes in the Wood' murder victims, police said today.

The two men, one of whom had been named by sources as victim Nicola Fellows' father Barrie Fellows, were originally arrested in April.

Nicola, nine, was found strangled to death alongside her friend Karen Hadaway, 10, in Wild Park, Brighton in 1986. No one has ever been brought to justice for what came to be known as the 'Babes in the Wood' murders.

Fellows, 59, was arrested at his home in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire,
on suspicion of conspiracy to rape Nicola while the second man, named
by sources as family friend Douglas Judd, 44, was arrested at his
Brighton home on suspicion of rape.

Sussex Police said the investigation into sexual abuse allegations
was unrelated to the ongoing murder inquiry but detectives had now
decided no further action should be taken against the two men.

No action: Barrie Fellows, father of Nicola , after the murders in 1986

A spokeswoman said today: 'Two men aged 59 and 44 arrested on April
7 in connection with allegations of sexual offences involving Nicola
Fellows in the 1980s have been stood down from bail.

'When there are serious allegations made, in this case alleging that
sexual crimes have been committed against a child, the public rightly
expect us to investigate.